Skip to main content

IDB suspends $$ for Sheriff St road project over violations

-contractors lays off employees

Work ongoing on Sheriff St. [Department of Public Information photo)
Work ongoing on Sheriff St. (Department of Public Information photo)

With the suspension of funding by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue road expansion project, the contractor Sino Hydro Corporation Limited has begun to lay off employees.

 

In a letter posted on Facebook, the Chinese contractor informed employees that the decision to terminate their service is as a result of non-payment for three months by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI).

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, last night in a statement posted on his Facebook Page explained that the IDB took the decision to suspend disbursements to the project due to the numerous serious health and safety infractions as well as traffic management failures by the contractor.  Patterson said that Sino Hydro  was β€œwarned on several occasions to rectify these issues but unfortunately to date the majority of failures identified have remained outstanding.”

 

Or

Replies sorted oldest to newest

IDB suspends $$ for Sheriff St road project over violations

-contractors lays off employees

Work ongoing on Sheriff St. [Department of Public Information photo)

Work ongoing on Sheriff St. (Department of Public Information photo)

November 19 2019

Source

With the suspension of funding by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue road expansion project, the contractor Sino Hydro Corporation Limited has begun to lay off employees.

In a letter posted on Facebook, the Chinese contractor informed employees that the decision to terminate their service is as a result of non-payment for three months by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI).

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, last night in a statement posted on his Facebook Page explained that the IDB took the decision to suspend disbursements to the project due to the numerous serious health and safety infractions as well as traffic management failures by the contractor.  Patterson said that Sino Hydro  was β€œwarned on several occasions to rectify these issues but unfortunately to date the majority of failures identified have remained outstanding.”

This road expansion contract, he explained further, is an IDB-funded contract, which is subject to performance audits by the Bank.

β€œI have been on record on several occasions raising the issue about this contractor’s performance, so the suspending of disbursements by the IDB does not come as a surprise,” the minister said while noting that his ministry has already commenced actions to address the failings since some of these pose serious safety risks to the general public.

Patterson said that while the dismissal of any employee is regrettable, β€œthe contractor should not seek to blame any other entity for the clear disregard of contractual obligations.”

Work ongoing on Sheriff St. (Department of Public Information photo)

Some employees were told that their last working day would be in December. In the letter posted on Facebook, the company informed employees that they will receive payments for their remaining vacation leave and one week’s salary as severance in addition to their final pay cheque.

Earlier this year, Patterson met with the Vice President of Sino Hydro Corporation Limited, and voiced concerns over the company’s β€œslow and disappointing” execution of the project.

As a result of the meeting, the company committed to revising its work programme and agreed to outline how they would allocate additional resources to ensure the work could be sped up, Stabroek News reported.

The project was handed over to the company early in 2018 after the contract was awarded and work commenced in the latter part of the year. The contract is pegged at US$31.03 million and is being financed by the IDB.

Head of the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s Work Services Group Geoffrey Vaughn had explained that the Sheriff Street to Mandela Avenue section will have an upgraded two-lane road, while Mandela Avenue, from the Cultural Centre, to the intersection with Hunter Street, and the beginning of the East Bank Highway will be upgraded to a four-lane road.The two-year project also encompasses lane and shoulder improvements, placement of sidewalks and paved shoulders, traffic signals, streetlights, drainage upgrade works, a pedestrian overhead walkway, culverts, bridges and a roundabout. The four-lane section will also feature a dividing median along with similar components of the two-lane section.

Django

IDB funded the project, and it seems the contractor has been warned about shoddy work

I have been on record on several occasions raising the issue about this contractor’s performance, so the suspending of disbursements by the IDB does not come as a surprise,” the minister said while noting that his ministry has already commenced actions to address the failings since some of these pose serious safety risks to the general public.

FM

Disrespect or lack of supervision? Chinese contractors for Sheriff St., CJIA hauled in after major breaches

Sep 13, 2019 News 1 Comment


The Chinese contractors involved in two multi-billion infrastructural projects have been hauled in by Government for major breaches. The two projects are the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion and the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue upgrades.

The ongoing operation on Mandela Avenue

A central section of Sheriff Street

The contractor has been accused of not adhering to conditions, including proper traffic management.

The airport project, to the tune of US$150M, has been dragging on since 2011 after it was signed in Jamaica.
The contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has been under a cloud for allegedly using its equipment granted under duty free and other concessions, for the airport project, on another location.
The Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue upgrade project was awarded to Sinohydro Corporation Limited (China) for over US$31M, in December 2017.
In a rapidly deteriorating condition, the Sheriff/Mandela link is a critical one that connects the East Coast to the East Bank Demerara, which leads to the Timehri airport.

The ongoing operation on Mandela Avenue

The ongoing operation on Mandela Avenue

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has reportedly been upset with the contractor for delays that saw a late start.
According to officials, this week, the Ministry was up-in-arms with both contractors over a number of issues.
For the airport, the arbitrary decision by CHEC to cut power to four passenger bridges was the last straw.
CHEC remained defiant to have all four bridges down although the Ministry said it had a plan.
With a few months left before the liability defects period runs out on the bridges, the contractor decided to halt operations of them on Monday citing unsafe ground conditions, which could lead to instability.
The Ministry is, however, reportedly suspicious of the timing of the contractor.
Passengers were forced to once again walk the tarmac, without the comfort of the air-conditioned bridges, which are connected to the terminal building.
Yesterday, CHEC officials reportedly were summoned to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure where Minister David Patterson conducted a meeting.
The contractor was reportedly told of numerous environmental and other breaches, with the Ministry signaling intentions to seek liquidated damages.
The Ministry is reportedly not buying claims from CHEC that it has busted on the project.
Contacted, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma, yesterday disclosed that government has taken note of the growing concerns over the execution of projects, including the airport, one that started under the previous administration.
He admitted that a number of actions will be taken with regards of the CJIA project and the contractor.
Officials have been complaining that despite the airport project being monitored by an independent consultant – MMM Group from Canada in collaboration with CEMCO, a local company – there has been little action taken against CHEC for environmental and other non-compliance issues. They have been written up numerous times.
The airport project was delayed significantly after CHEC found that it was extending the runway into swampy area and there would be slippage problems. It is unclear if Guyana has taken the burden of the costs. The decision was taken to extend then at the south side.
The work has been continuing since 2013 with instead of a new terminal building, Guyana is left with a renovated one. There prices in the bill of quantities were grossly inflated also. Instead of eight passenger bridges, the airport has only four. There was flooding in the airport terminal recently.
With regards to the Sheriff Street project, Minister Sharma said that Government’s concerns are that the timeline is kept; that the project is delivered within budget and that there is compliance.
However, that project has been saddled with troubles.
Although the contract was inked in 2017, it was not until mid-last year that the project got underway – months later.
The Chinese contractor, now way behind, has hired a number of other contractors, giving them sections to complete. However, the movement of utilities and compliance with the contract terms have been proving to be a headache.
In addition to poor traffic management, there were complaints from residents and others of dust and other environmental issues.
There was a motor vehicle crash last week that made the Ministry pay even more attention.
According to Minister Sharma, there is tighter scrutiny of projects by the Ministry.
He said CHEC was summoned early this week and met him in his office. He disclosed that Sinohydro will be written to immediately by the Project Manager for a number of steps to be taken to correct the situation.
While Sinohydro has not been summoned to meet the ministers yet, they have been hauled in by the supervisors and warned.
Government last year had contemplated terminating the project. Works that were slated to be undertaken were: the upgrading of the existing carriageway and resurfacing from the northern end of Sheriff Street all the way to Homestretch Avenue.
The initial plan had also indicated that from that point, to the Mandela Avenue-Hunter Street junction, there was going to be provisions to cater for four lanes of traffic.
The plan also stated that the completed roads will be outfitted with the requisite road safety amenities including sidewalks, bicycle lanes and β€œhopefully” adequate parking spaces. Bridges will also be upgraded.
There has been increasing calls for better management of public projects, following a number of failures.

https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...fter-major-breaches/

FM
Sean posted:

O rass more PNC incompetence and fraud exposed. They used to blame PPP, let them tek their dhall and staan easy. Utter incompetence by the AFC PNC !

TheChinese contractors involved in two multi-billion infrastructural projects have been hauled in by Government for major breaches.

The two projects are the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion and the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue upgrades.

 

Try to read and understand ,also do you have any idea when those contracts was awarded ?

Django
Last edited by Django

Bai is who issued the contracts to these Chinese deplorables ? 
Answer ? The clowns in the AFC PNC. Is sheer BS going on wid AFC PNC awarding these contracts. 
They used to cuss the PPP and said that PPP souls out the country to Chinese. Guess what, PNC loves the Chinese brush ! 

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Django posted:
Sean posted:

O rass more PNC incompetence and fraud exposed. They used to blame PPP, let them tek their dhall and staan easy. Utter incompetence by the AFC PNC !

TheChinese contractors involved in two multi-billion infrastructural projects have been hauled in by Government for major breaches.

The two projects are the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion and the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue upgrades.

 

Try to read and understand ,also do you have any idea when those contracts was awarded ?

Some people hea have a selected reading syndrome. 

Tola
Django posted:
Sean posted:

O rass more PNC incompetence and fraud exposed. They used to blame PPP, let them tek their dhall and staan easy. Utter incompetence by the AFC PNC !

TheChinese contractors involved in two multi-billion infrastructural projects have been hauled in by Government for major breaches.

The two projects are the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion and the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue upgrades.

 

Try to read and understand ,also do you have any idea when those contracts was awarded ?

Not sure what the argument is here.  The Chinese were not complying with the terms of the contracts. Doesn’t matter who gave the contracts, fact is they are being held accountable!

Baseman
Baseman posted:
Django posted:
Sean posted:

O rass more PNC incompetence and fraud exposed. They used to blame PPP, let them tek their dhall and staan easy. Utter incompetence by the AFC PNC !

TheChinese contractors involved in two multi-billion infrastructural projects have been hauled in by Government for major breaches.

The two projects are the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion and the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue upgrades.

 

Try to read and understand ,also do you have any idea when those contracts was awarded ?

Not sure what the argument is here.

 The Chinese were not complying with the terms of the contracts. Doesn’t matter who gave the contracts, fact is they are being held accountable!

Read some of the posters contribution to the topic.

Django
Django posted:
Baseman posted:
Django posted:
Sean posted:

O rass more PNC incompetence and fraud exposed. They used to blame PPP, let them tek their dhall and staan easy. Utter incompetence by the AFC PNC !

TheChinese contractors involved in two multi-billion infrastructural projects have been hauled in by Government for major breaches.

The two projects are the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion and the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue upgrades.

 

Try to read and understand ,also do you have any idea when those contracts was awarded ?

Not sure what the argument is here.

 The Chinese were not complying with the terms of the contracts. Doesn’t matter who gave the contracts, fact is they are being held accountable!

Read some of the posters contribution to the topic.

Mi read. Mi juss mek a general comment.  And why you have to bring up PPP awarded the contracts?  It don’t matter!

Baseman
Tola posted:

The work was not stopped because of the government, but with sub-contractors having poor traffic management with a recent car accident. Also neighbor complaints with dust and environment issues.

Who de rass first bring these Chinese contractors, that will cut every corner in a project ? 

Banna, stop the nonsense about Chinese contractors. China Rail is doing work right here in the USA!  The Chinese are there and here and everywhere because they are bankrolling many of these projects!

Baseman
Baseman posted:
Tola posted:

The work was not stopped because of the government, but with sub-contractors having poor traffic management with a recent car accident. Also neighbor complaints with dust and environment issues.

Who de rass first bring these Chinese contractors, that will cut every corner in a project ? 

Banna, stop the nonsense about Chinese contractors. China Rail is doing work right here in the USA!  The Chinese are there and here and everywhere because they are bankrolling many of these projects!

Why do you people always bring in other countries, when we are taking about a Chinese subcontractor management issues on Sheriff street ? 

Tola

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×